diff --git a/mx.py b/mx.py
index 3eabc142c..41bd94f08 100755
--- a/mx.py
+++ b/mx.py
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ def no_suite_discovery(func):
 import mx_benchplot
 import mx_downstream
 import mx_subst
+import mx_tar_vcs
+
 
 from mx_javamodules import JavaModuleDescriptor, make_java_module, get_java_module_info, lookup_package
 
@@ -4751,7 +4753,7 @@ def cleanForbidden(self):
 class VC(object):
     __metaclass__ = ABCMeta
     """
-    base class for all supported Distriuted Version Constrol abstractions
+    base class for all supported Distributed Version Control abstractions
 
     :ivar str kind: the VC type identifier
     :ivar str proper_name: the long name descriptor of the VCS
@@ -7667,7 +7669,7 @@ def parse_specification(import_dict, context, importer, dynamicImport=False):
         if version_from and version:
             abort("In import for '{}': 'version' and 'versionFrom' can not be both set".format(name), context=context)
         if version is None and version_from is None:
-            if not (in_subdir and (importer.vc_dir != importer.dir or isinstance(importer, BinarySuite))):
+            if not (in_subdir and (importer.vc_dir != importer.dir or isinstance(importer, BinarySuite) or isinstance(importer.vc, mx_tar_vcs.TarVC))):
                 abort("In import for '{}': No version given and not a 'subdir' suite of the same repository".format(name), context=context)
             if importer.isSourceSuite():
                 suite_dir = join(importer.vc_dir, name)
@@ -17863,7 +17865,7 @@ def main():
     _opts.__dict__['very_verbose'] = '-V' in sys.argv
     _opts.__dict__['warn'] = '--no-warning' not in sys.argv
     global _vc_systems
-    _vc_systems = [HgConfig(), GitConfig(), BinaryVC()]
+    _vc_systems = [HgConfig(), GitConfig(), BinaryVC(), mx_tar_vcs.TarVC()]
 
     global _mx_suite
     _mx_suite = MXSuite()
diff --git a/mx_tar_vcs.py b/mx_tar_vcs.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..95b404fe9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mx_tar_vcs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import time
+
+
+class TarVC(object):
+    """ Proof of concept for building from a tarball. """
+
+    def check(self, abortOnError=True):
+        return self
+
+    def root(self, directory, abortOnError=True):
+        # TODO: figure out how to do this without hard coding. Some meta data?
+        if directory.endswith("/compiler"):
+            return directory[:-len("/compiler")]
+        if directory.endswith("/truffle"):
+            return directory[:-len("/truffle")]
+        if directory.endswith("/tools"):
+            return directory[:-len("/tools")]
+
+        return directory
+
+    def release_version_from_tags(self, vcdir, prefix, snapshotSuffix='dev', abortOnError=True):
+        return None
+
+    def parent(self, vcdir, abortOnError=True):
+        return 'unknown-{0}'.format(time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S_%Z'))